The use of high-speed program-driven embroidery machines has greatly increased the efficiency of embroidery operations. Embroidering, which previously had been very time-consuming and difficult, is now carried out automatically and very quickly once the fabric to be embroidered is properly mounted.
Mounting of the fabric to be embroidered, usually referred to as framing or hooping, involves engagement of the fabric on and across a pair of male and female embroidery hoops which hold the target area of fabric taut and flat. Once the fabric is framed with hoops in this manner, the hoops may be secured to an embroidery machine. The female or outer hoop has means thereon to engage the embroidery machine after framing of the fabric.
While primary reference is made herein to embroidering and embroidery machines, it should be understood that this invention is also applicable to fabric framing for attachment to other types of machines which apply letters, artwork and the like, and to framing for other purposes.
Framing of the fabric is primarily a manual operation. While fabric framing is difficult and tedious enough for any sort of fabric, it is particularly difficult to frame portions of garments. In embroidery shops using the new high-speed embroidering machines, framing of garment portions in preparation for embroidering has become a source of inefficiency.
Garments, particularly shirts, jackets and other shirt-like garments, are quite difficult to frame for several reasons. One principal reason is that they have complex shapes and curvatures. Furthermore, it is often particularly difficult with garments to locate the proper target area for framing and subsequent embroidering. As a result, the framing of garments in many cases is carried out at a speed which is inadequate to supply high-speed embroidery machines.
Accurate garment framing frequently requires a number of steps, such as pinning, taping, measuring and a good deal of guessing, before the male and female hoops are engaged to frame the target portion of a garment, such a jacket.
Various methods and devices have been developed to facilitate the hooping of fabrics. Included in the prior art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,561,177 (Rancer), D244,755 (Bard), 4,545,127 (Barry), and 4,292,748 (Miller). The Rancer patent relates to a device for automatic insertion of the male hoop into the female hoop to free the hands of the operator to hold the fabric in the proper place over a female hoop secured to a work table. Also included in the prior art are various flat boards which are used, in effect, as work surfaces for framing.
The methods and devices of the prior art for framing garment portions have substantial problems and disadvantages. In such framing, garments are frequently improperly oriented unless numerous manual steps are taken to adjust and readjust the position and orientation of the garment before engagement of the female and male hoops.
In framing the upper back portion of a shirt, jacket or other shirt-like garment, the natural lines of the garment often require repeated readjustment before finding the proper location and obtaining the flat condition needed for proper framing and subsequent embroidering. Uneven gathers in the portions of the garment immediately surrounding the area to be framed pose a particular problem. Finding the right target location and orientating the garment properly are difficult tasks using prior art devices and methods.
There is clearly a need for an improved apparatus and method for facilitating framing of garments, particularly shirts, jackets and other shirt-like garments, in order to facilitate operations in embroidery shops and the like.